Let V be a convex vector bundle over a smooth projective manifold X, and let Y be the subset of X which is the zero locus of a regular section of V. This mostly expository paper discusses a conjecture which relates the virtual fundamental classes of X and Y. Using an argument due to Gathmann, we prove a special case of the conjecture. The paper concludes with a discussion of how our conjecture relates to the mirror theorems in the literature.

A reconstruction theorem for genus 0 gravitational quantum cohomology and quantum K-theory is proved. A new linear equivalence in the Picard group of the moduli space of genus 0 stable maps relating the pull-backs of line bundles from the target via different markings is used for the reconstruction result. Examples of calculations in quantum cohomology and quantum K-theory are given.

This work is devoted to the study of the foundations of quantum K-theory, a K-theoretic version of quantum cohomology theory. In particular, it gives a deformation of the ordinary K-ring K(X) of a smooth projective variety X, analogous to the relation between quantum cohomology and ordinary cohomology. This new quantum product also gives a new class of Frobenius manifolds.

We conjecture that appropriate K-theoretic Gromov-Witten invariants of complex flag manifolds G/B are governed by finite-difference versions of Toda systems constructed in terms of the Langlands-dual quantized universal enveloping algebras U_q(g'). The conjecture is proved in the case of classical flag manifolds of the series A. The proof is based on a refinement of the famous Atiyah-Hirzebruch argument for rigidity of arithmetical genus applied to hyperquot-scheme compactifications of spaces of rational curves in the flag manifolds.

The main goal of this paper is to prove the following two conjectures for genus up to two: 1. Witten's conjecture on the relations between higher spin curves and Gelfand--Dickey hierarchy. 2. Virasoro conjecture for target manifolds with conformal semisimple Frobenius manifolds. The main technique used in the proof is the invariance of tautological equations under loop group action.